When I was in 3rd grade, I got 3rd place in a spelling bee contest.  I remember, I lost on the word “calendar.”  I spelled it with an e instead of an a: “calender.”

I cried.  Isn’t that silly?  I should have been happy that I got 3rd place, but I cried.  I didn’t feel so bad anymore, though, when the boy who got 2nd ran to the corner of the gym and started bawling.

I guess the moral of this story is…well, I’m a pretty good speller but there are a few words that trip me up.  Avocado, for example.  I want to spell it “avacado” every. single. time.  Those vowels man, I tell you what.

Anyway, I just felt it necessary that I tell you guys that story.

I don’t care how you spell avocado, all I know is that you should make this pesto.  It seriously takes 5 minutes to make, and if you put it on pasta, you’ll have a healthy and delicious dinner served up in 20 minutes flat.  Do it.

What words do you have trouble spelling?

Avocado Basil Pesto
From: A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon sliced almonds
• 1 lemon, for zest and juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 medium avocado

1. In a food processor or blender, add the basil, garlic salt, almonds, zest from 1/2 of the lemon, juice from the whole lemon, salt and pepper.
2. Blend until chopped, scraping down the sides, if need be.
3. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until smooth.
4. Add the avocado and blend once more. If the mixture is a bit too thick (mine was), add a few tablespoons of water and blend one last time.